Innovation & Design

High Rollers

It's vibrant, quirky and embraced by the celebrity set. It's also impossible to miss in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other urban hubs. It's the Bugaboo Frog baby stroller, with its bright colors, odd-sized tires and sought-after cachet.

Despite its cute, whimsical name, the Frog strives to convey a certain status, which is part of the appeal to style-conscious parents. Says Ron Perina, vice president of Just Juvenile, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based retailer offering Bugaboos and other high-end baby gear products, "People buy these because they want something that sets them apart and [doesn't] look like all the 'big box' [mass retailers'] strollers."

Indeed, Bugaboo, a Dutch-based company, is not targeting fans of mass retailers such as Babies 'R Us, whose price points max out at the mid US$ 300 range for European brands such as Peg Perego and Maclaren. Instead Bugaboo is appealing to parents who want to be a little different and don't mind (and perhaps even take pride in) paying $700 to $900 for a stroller. Bugaboo introduced an upgraded Frog, called the Cameleon, last year, which got a pluses and minuses review in BusinessWeek. The company now offers three different models: the Gecko, priced lowest; the Frog, which is the middle option; and the Cameleon, turbo-priced.

At first glance, the original Frog seems to be an urban dweller's dream. It's lightweight with an aluminum chassis, has "bump-free" suspension and the ability to accommodate more than just smooth sidewalks and streets. It comes with rain and sun protection and has an optional adapter to fit Graco and Peg Perego infant car seats in place of the regular stroller seat.